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MILLENIALS AT THE WORKPLACE
Millennials, also known as Generation Y or the Net Generation, are the demographic
cohort that directly follows Generation X. The term Millennials is usually considered to apply to
individuals who reached adulthood around the turn of the 21st century. The precise delineation
varies from one source to another, however. There is a great deal of variation from one
individual to another within any generational cohort. Millennials grew up in an electronics-filled
and increasingly online and socially-networked world. They are the generation that has received
the most marketing attention. As the most ethnically diverse generation, Millennials tend to be
tolerant of difference. They follow their dreams with confidence.
The millennial generation who are entering into employment, will reshape the world
of work. Some adaptations have come about from employers accommodating Millennials. These
people enjoy more, if they do the work they love and they are highly motivated. Millennials want
their work to have a purpose, to contribute something to the world and they want to be proud of
their employer. The brands that appeal to young people as consumers including those that stress
their environmental and social record, are the same brands that appeal to them as employers.
Younger workers are defined by their optimism and energy. Millennials have particular needs
and expectations when it comes to learning and career development. Many respond well to

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mentoring by older employees – in an ideal world, they would like to see their boss as a coach
who supports them in their personal development – but also generally prefer to learn by doing
rather than by being told what to do.
While millennials value diversity and tend to seek out employers with a strong record on
equality and diversity, their expectations are not always met in practice. Men are more likely
than women to believe that they can succeed. Millennials expect to keep on learning as they
enter the workplace and spend a high proportion of their time gaining new experiences and
absorbing new information. Millennials have a strong appetite for working abroad, with 71%
keen to do so at some stage during their career. Many international employers are already
recognising and taking active steps to meet this need.
Millennials want to be able to work in the way that suits them best. Their extensive use of
technology means that the line between work and home has become increasingly blurred,
although many would prefer to work in an office than alone. Millennialls feel constrained by
what they see as outdated traditional working practices. 65% said they felt that rigid hierarchies
and outdated management styles failed to get the most out of younger recruits and 46% thought
that their managers did not always understand the way they use technology in their work.
Employees could be rewarded by results rather than the number of hours or where they work,
while offices will become meeting spaces rather than a fixed location for the working day.
A millennial-friendly environment is digital, comfortable and creative. Millennials expect
to work hard, but they don’t use to sit in a bland cubicle all day. They will be drawn to
organisations that offer an engaging, comfortable, and stimulating atmosphere that creatively
blends work and life. Employee-focused environment may seem like an indulgence and it is
actually good for retention better for business because engaged employees are more productive.
Managers need to really understand the personal and professional goals of millennials.
Millennials have a strong desire to work overseas and this is a rich potential resource for
organisations focused on global growth. It’s inevitable that the rate of churn among millennials
will be higher than among other generations.What they really needs ina workplace is flexibility.

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Millennials are a talented and dynamic generation, and the best of them are hard to find
and even more difficult to keep. The finest of them are already in high demand and employers
that meet their expectations will be able to take their pick of this generation’s talent. There is a
significant gap between what millennials want and expect from their employer and career and
their experience of the workplace. Superficial changes that are intended to connect with younger
workers, such as unconvincing social media outreach programmes, ‘greenwashed’ corporate
values and diversity tokenism will not work. Millennials may have made some compromises
during the downturn but their ambition and sense of self-worth has not diminished. Before long
this generation will form the majority of the workforce and they will look for employers who are
truly acting on their promises.
They must mange their talents and face the future by paying attention to pivotal roles and
focus on financials.